Hat-frame machine.



N0. 858,168. PATENTED JUNE-25, 1907.

W. B. FOSTER. HAT FRAME MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26,1906.

' Wi fmems ea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. FOSTER, OF NORWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE FOURTH TO ADOLPH VVALDN ER AND ONE-FOURTH TO JULIUS WALDNER, OF CINCIN- NATI, orno.

HAT-FRAME MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed May 26,1906. $erial No. 318,850.

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. FosTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'HatFrame Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines consisting of a metal frame-work, designed to receive and hold the round and round and cross wires for the construction of any desired design of a wire frame for ladies hats, and it consists of that certain novel construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed whereby the machine may be cheaply and easily constructed, and any desired hat frame built thereon without the necessity of providing mechanism for collapsing the machine to permit the hat frame to be removed, and in which any hat frame, no matter how irregular or peculiar in contour and shape, may be readily and easily formed thereon in such quantities as may be desired, and the machine thereupon easily altered or changed for the construction of any other desired shape of hat frame.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clamp for holding and adjusting the vertical and horizontal rods, with the rods in place. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of same taken on the lines 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the catches for the wires.

1 is a standard to form a substantial base plate for the support of the apparatus, on which is mounted and held by the set screws 22 the vertical support 8, so that the support and the apparatus secured thereto can be rotated on the vertical axis. Adjustably mounted on this support 3, and held in any desired position by the set screw 4 is the bracket 5, with the upwardly extending arms 66, upon the outer ends of which is secured the annular holder 7. This annular holder 7 is provided with the central recess 8 and the slot 9 somewhat narrower than the recess. Mounted vertically in this groove, and extending through the slot are a series of vertical rods ].0 10 of any desired number, usually sixteen of these rods being suflicient. These rods are held in place by the nuts 12 secured on the lower end thereof, the nuts being inserted through a suitable opening 13. and then moved around into the proper position and locked in position by the lock nuts 14. Each of these vertical rods 10 carries a radial arm 15, which may be adjusted at an angle to the horizontal plane. In the same way the radial arms carry a series-of vertical rods 16-16, the number of vertical rods being dependent on the size of the device, and the number of round and round wires required for the hat frame. The radial arms 15 are secured to the rods 10 and the vertical rods 16 are secured to the radial arms 15 by clamps, all of which are similar and interchangeable. These clamps comprise a screw 17 with a cylindrical head 18, through which is drilled a hole 19 of the same gage as the rods 10, 15 and 16.

20 is a plate through which the screw 17 passes provided with a cylindrical groove for receiving the vertical rods 16, the plate also being provided with a central cylindrical depression to receive the cylindrical head of the screw 17. p

21 is a bearing plate, one end of which is provided with flanges 22 to embrace the side edges of the plate 20, and prevent the bearing plate from twisting, and this bearing plate is interposed between the plate 20 and the radial arm 15.

22 is a nut for the screw 17, and by tightening this nut the rod 16 will be clamped between the plate 20, and the bearing plate 21, and the radial arm 15 will be clamped by the bearing plate 21 pressing upon the radial arm 15, which is inserted through the opening 19 in the cylindrical head of the screw.

All of the clamps for the various rods are exactly similar in construction, and it will be evident from the construction that a universal angular movement of the rods 15 and 16 with each other and with the rods 10 can be had, and that any portion of the so-called vertical rod 16, upon which'it is desired to secure a wire of the hat frame, can be moved into any position that may be desired, and clamped in that position. For holding the wires, I provide a catch such as shown in Fig. 5,very much enlarged.

23 is a split collar provided with spring arms 242i, the collar being of a diameter to fit closely on the rods 16 and remain in any position into which they may be adjusted, either at the top of the rods, or in any intermediate position. I also provide a catch similar to that shown in Fig. 5 to slide on the rods, and held in any position into which they may be pushed, this catch being indicated at 26, and being provided with a lateral groove 27, instead of the spring arms 24.

The rods 15 and 16 may all be of the same length, or rods of different length may be provided, but the rods 10, 15 and 16 are all of the same gage, so that the clamps for holding these rods'together are interchangeable, and any clamp may be used in any position, and it will be evident that for my hat frame machine practically five parts in duplicate make up the machine frame construction; the frame-work, the rods 10 with the nuts on the lower end to fit within the slotted annular frame, the vertical and horizontal rods, the clamps, and the adjustable catches.

I have not thought it necessary to illustrate any hat frame, as it will be evident to any one familiar with this class of machine, how the hat frame is to be built up on the machine. I

The vertical rods 10 carrying the radial arms 15 which in turn carry the vertical rods 16, are each adjusted into the position desired, and the catches are located at the proper points to hold the wire. The vertical rods on the inner ends of the radial arms become the supports for the crown wires, and the vertical rods outside of the annular standard become the supports for the round and round brim wires.

The crown wire is usually first located, then the head wire, and then the brim wire, then as many round and round wires as desired may be located, and then the cross wires following the shape of the hat frame, and secured in any desired wayusually by fine wireto the round and round wires.

No matter how peculiar or fanciful a shape may be desired to be formed, it is very evident that, with the universal movement pro vided, the catches on the vertical rods may be brought into the desired position to properly hold the wires as the hat frame is constructed.

The rods holding the wires are vertical and the catches permit of ready removal of the wires, and as the construction is entirely open above, the wire form may always be removed without collapsing the frame, and the arrangement is especiallyadapted for the removal of bell crown shapes, the head wire having nothing above it to prevent removal, no matter how broad a crown may be provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z- 1. In a hat frame machine, the combina tion with a standard or support, and a series of radial arms mounted thereon, of a series of crown wire rods, with adjustable catches to receive the round and round crown-wires, with catches having side notches for the head wire, and a similar series of brim-wire rods to receive the brim wires, and clamps for adjusting said rods laterally, vertically and angularly, substantially as described.

2. In a hat frame machine, the combination with a suitable standard, and an integral ring supported thereon, of a series of radially disposed rods, with means for securing same angularly and circumferentially adjustable on said ring, with vertically disposed rods, and clamps for securing same to said radial rods angularly and longitudinally adjustable thereon, substantially as described.

3. In a hat frame machine, a standard with an integral ring supported thereon, a series of vertical rods mounted on and circumferentially adjustably around said ring, a series of radially disposed rods with clamps for securing same angularly and longitudinally adjustable on said vertical rods, and a series of vertically disposed rods, with clamps for securing same angularly and longitudinally adjustable on said vertical rods.

1. In a hat frame machine, the combination with a standard or support, and a series of radial arms mounted thereon, of a series of rods laterally, vertically and angularly adjustable on said radial arms, with catches for the wires frictionally mounted on said vertical rods and adjustable longitudinally thereon.

WILLIAM B. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

GLENA PRITCHARD, GEO. BROEMMER. 

